Spanish cargo airline Swiftair has signed a lease agreement with mega-lessor AerCap for two Airbus A321 aircraft converted from passenger configuration to carry freight containers.
It’s the rare case this year of an airline investing in more freighters. Most cargo operators have paused, and in some cases, rolled back expansion plans because of the downturn in cargo demand in rates since early 2022.
Swifair has 43 aircraft, most of which are freighters, but the A321 is a new aircraft type for the company.
The used aircraft will be retrofitted by Airbus affiliate Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH at partner ST Engineering in Singapore and delivered to Swiftair in April and June, the companies announced Wednesday.
Swiftair said the airplanes will replace older aircraft in the fleet and fly on behalf of an international logistics customer. The aircraft will be dedicated to one of the large integrated express carriers, Cargo Facts previously reported.
Madrid-based Swiftair provides outsourced cargo and passenger operations, including aircraft and crews, for airlines, express delivery companies, postal services and non-governmental organizations across Europe, north Africa and west Africa.
Swiftair’s fleet includes 21 ATR 42 and ATR 72 aircraft, nine legacy Boeing 737 and seven 737-800s converted freighters and three Boeing 757 converted freighters, according to aviation databases.
In 2022, AerCap placed a firm order with EFW for 15 Airbus A321-200 passenger-to-freighter conversions, with an option for a further 15 conversions.
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